the gold medal final and men's mogul skiing. >> you got it all in. >> there. on our broadcast here tonight, wild ride. new concerns about one of the most popular events at the olympics. some athletes are saying the course is just not ready. now organizers are scrambling to fix it. plus, another big day for an american olympic champion. what now after a college football star reveals he is gay and says he wants to make history in the nfl. tonight the reaction to a potentially game-changing announcement. state of emergency tonight. they're taking no chances in atlanta because of what happened the last time it snowed. this time they say they will be ready. and private lives. what one of hillary clinton's closest friends wrote about one of her darkest hours. and now the attacks get personal. "nightly news" begins now.

and good evening from these olympic winter games where tonight is the eve of the popular event here, and there are some concerns about how it will go off tomorrow as scheduled now that much of the world is watching. there is a lot of news to cover from here, and we will do that in just a moment. but first, we're going to begin with a report that is just in to us tonight, a situation that demands our attention. this comes from syria. it shows, as you'll see, a desperate situation. some very brave souls with the u.n. are trying to evacuate the oldest section of the city of hmos during what is supposed to be a ceasefire. it is slow-going and very dangerous. they got about 300 more people out today, and it was close. they don't want to leave anyone

behind in the old bombarded center of what is the third largest city in syria. so we'll have a report from this dire and still unfolding situation. here is nbc's bill neely. >> reporter: they are hungry and weary, but mostly they are desperate to escape. the siege that has trapped them in their city for more than two years. their rescuers raced in. there is meant to be a ceasefire, but aid workers were shot at and mortared earlier. under the coffer of u.n. vehicles, they move across a no-man's land between the two warring sides. clinging to their children, crossing just 500 yards of open ground to relative safety elsewhere in the city. some abandoning luggage in the scrumable. as people wait to be evacuated, mortars rained down. so no one takes chances. they survived a brutal war. this is their moment to leave it behind.

in the confusion, this woman loses her son. it is not known if she ever found him. the crowd surges forward, crouching low in case of snipers and the shooting does not stop. ceasefire deal or not. more than a thousand civilians have now escaped. one small success story from peace talks that are otherwise deadlocked, like this long war. bill neely, nbc news, london. >> tomorrow will be yet another day in that effort. tonight "the washington post" has obtained dramatic surveillance video that shows u.s. army delta force commandos capturing an al qaeda leader on the streets of tripoli. this was in libya last october. in just 60 seconds elapsed time, the american special operators

grab al libbi from his car, shove him in their van and make their escape. you may recall for 13 years al libbi was one of the most wanted terrorists for his alleged bombing in the two embassies. he is currently in federal prison in new york facing terrorism charges. now to what is going on here at these olympic winter games in sochi, russia, as we mentioned there is growing concerns tonight that the course for one of these premiere games may not be quite ready for prime time as the athletes get ready to compete tomorrow. tonight, an american woman has become one of the most decorated winter olympians in all of u.s. sports history. nbc's kevin tibbles has been following it all. and is with us here tonight. kevin, good evening. >> reporter: brian, she may not be a household name like other u.s. downhill skiers, but today julia mancuso has done it again, remaining the most decorated u.s. women's olympic skier in history.

for alpine skier julia mancuso, four is a lucky number. and today in the super combined event, the 29-year-old finished with bronze, her fourth olympic medal, more than any other u.s. women's olympic skier. >> to be able to do it in three straight olympics is just amazing. i can't even describe it, really. >> reporter: the united states is hoping for more celebrations tomorrow as shaun white goes for his third gold in the halfpipe. but today, concerns over the state of the halfpipe itself. >> frustrating today, but i have faith it will be good tomorrow. >> reporter: competition was delayed twice as crews worked to improve conditions. >> on a scale of one to ten i would say it is a solid five and a half, six right now. >> reporter: for the winter games, there hasn't been much winter. down in the olympic park they are in step with warmer temps.

a surprised andrew bogues is here from indiana. sochi is a long way from indiana. >> yeah, it is a very long way from indiana, but it's a lot warmer, because in indiana it is single digit temperatures. here it is 60 degrees. i can walk around in just this. >> reporter: temperatures run high inside the venues as well as russian fans show they can shout and cheer with the best of them. >> not a lot of smiles when you walk down the street but when you get inside an olympic venue they yell their face off. >> the russians are rocking it. >> reporter: vladimir putin has been clapping his approval. the russian president even dropped in to congratulate an austrian downhill skier in his bright red track suit. and the russians are going wild over the 15-year-old phenom 15-year-old yulia lipnitskaya. >> ability and maturity beyond her years. >> yulia, champion.

>> so there you have it, the tale of two julias, or yulias. as for vladimir putin, he didn't just visit the house, he also dropped by the holland house and he gave a hug to a speed skater who won a medal that speed skater happened to be the first gay athlete to win a medal at these olympic games. >> the russian army is also on board. kevin tibbles here with us tonight. one more note, a couple of weeks ago we brought you the inspiring story of the canadian skier gold medallist at the last olympics, alex bilodeau. we heard from a lot of our viewers who had been so touched by the story of his brother frederick who has cerebral palsy, cheering him on during competition. well, frederick and alex are here and together at these games. you can watch alex in action tonight in prime time. also from the sports world now to the big announcement today by a college football player and nfl prospect that made a lot of news across the u.s. michael sam is a defensive end at the university of missouri, sec defensive player of the year.

he is 6'2", 255, an all-american thought to be a top nfl recruit. last night he came out publicly and reveal head is gay. this means he could become the first openly gay player in nfl history. there has been a lot of reaction both inside and outside the lines from this announcement. we get our report tonight from our national correspondent kate snow. >> i'm michael sam. i'm a football player, and i'm gay. >> reporter: his words were straightforward. >> i am coming out because i want to own my truth. i'm comfortable with who i am. >> michael sam! >> reporter: coordinated interviews with the new york times and espn, sharing with the world what his college teammates have kept secret since last summer. >> they rallied around me. they supported me, and i couldn't ask for better teammates. >> reporter: the president tweeted congratulations on leading the way. the first lady, you're an inspiration to all of us. and at the university of missouri today where sam was an all-american defensive end, his

name written on the snowy field. but on line there were critics, some using anti-gay slurs, suggesting the nfl will be damaged. "sports illustrated" spoke with nearly a dozen coaches and nfl executives, many of whom said football isn't ready for an openly gay player. >> yesterday michael sam was projected as a third or fourth round pick but definitely on the board. and today executives will say anonymously that his stock has dropped. he may not even be drafted. >> reporter: chris kluwe, a former punter for the vikings, who has taken heat for being outspoken in support of gay rights says older generation coaches often say they don't want a distraction in the locker room. >> the nfl is using the word distraction as code for i'm not comfortable with a gay person on my team but i know i can't go out and say that so i'll use the word "distraction" instead. >> reporter: kluwe does say he sees more open-mindedness from among young players. in a statement on sam the nfl said we admire his honesty and courage, any player with the ability and determination can

succeed in the nfl. >> i am a team player. i can make plays. i can help teams win games, and that's all that should matter. >> reporter: in texas today, sam's aunt talked about all he has overcome in his life. two of his siblings deceased, two younger brothers are in prison. >> michael has gone through a lot, he still came out on top. >> this is a huge referendum on football. i mean, michael sam will be under great truth scrutiny, but so will football. >> reporter: by coming out before the draft this spring he has put the nfl's next play under the flood lights. kate snow, nbc news, new york. the governor of georgia has declared a state of emergency tonight, and the city of atlanta has made an early call to close schools for the next two days as another winter storm is moving through. now, in truth, they are taking no chances after they got caught unprepared for the last one.

2.6 inches of snow that you'll recall, just about brought the city to its knees. we get our report tonight from nbc's mark potter in atlanta. >> reporter: this is what georgia state and city officials never hope to see again, a repeat of the weather disaster two weeks ago in which just 2.5 inches of snow paralyzed metro atlanta, clogging miles of highway, forcing drivers to abandon their cars, and children to sleep overnight in their schools because their parents couldn't come get them. today the governor, who apologized for not being prepared last time, said this time will be much different. >> we're not looking back. we're looking forward. the next three days are going to be challenging days for the state and for local government and for private entities. >> reporter: the governor has expanded the state of emergency to include 45 counties, and trucks are loading up with a mix of salt, sand, and gravel to put on the roads. >> we'll have 125 separate pieces of snow equipment, including snowplows.

>> reporter: officials are also urging truckers to avoid clogging highways in the atlanta area when the storm hits, and say they are opening shelters. atlanta area schools will be closed tomorrow and wednesday, although some parents wonder if officials are overreacting. >> it is crazy. i went to school in maine, and this is a little, you know, overreaction it seems like. >> reporter: but weather forecasters say this will be a major winter storm that needs to be taken seriously. >> this one will be worse because we'll get more icing, more freezing rain that will weigh down the power lines and cause a lot of power outages, unfortunately. >> reporter: today, hardware stores stay busy selling shovels and salt, while grocery stores were packed with homeowners stocking up for yet another storm, this time, better prepared. i hear here at the atlanta city of public works yard, we're seeing some of the salt trucks on the roads overnight. the national guard has also been warned it could be activated.

brian? >> no mistakes this time, mark potter in atlanta, thank you, the obama administration announced today it is delaying another part of the president's health care law. the change here involves medium sized businesses. that means those with between 55 and 99 employees. those companies will not have to provide health insurance for full-time employees until 2016. that is a change a year later than previously announced. still ahead for us tonight, the private lives of bill and hillary clinton. and what she admitted to a close friend about some of their most trying times. these new revelations as republicans take early aim. and later, more from here in sochi, including the american champion on the comeback trail after a crash that almost ended years of olympic dreams.

tonight the once private papers of the woman hillary clinton has previously described

as her closest friend are getting a lot of attention, because they reveal some of what was going on behind the scenes during the monica lewinsky affair and other tough times for the clintons. it is all coming to light and republicans say it is fair game with 2016 approaching. we get our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: after the music stopped at their first inaugural, the clintons' first overnight guests were their closest friends from arkansas, diane blair and her husband jim. for years, she chronicled the clintons' reactions to the rough relations with the press and scandals, including monica lewinsky and impeachment. getting little attention until inflammatory excerpts were posted last night. >> i think it's very cherry picked. >> reporter: thanksgiving, 1996, blair quotes clinton as saying i'm a proud woman, i'm not stupid. i know i should do more to suck up to the press. i know it confuses people when i change my hairdos. i know i should pretend i don't

have any opinions, but i'm just not going to. i'm used to winning on my own terms, their friend shreveport >> their friendship was originated when they were both here at the university of arkansas as young professors, moms, and they met for lunch regularly. and they were two of the only female faculty on campus. >> reporter: september 9th, 1998, bill clinton had finally admitted his relationship with lewinsky. blair writes of hillary, she is not trying to excuse him. it was a huge personal lapse. but she says to his credit, he tried to break it off, tried to pull away. blair did not survive to provide context for her diary. now republicans say her notes are fair game. >> i think everything is on the table. i don't see how someone just gets a pass on anything, especially in today's politics. i think we're going to have a truckload of opposition research on hillary clinton. >> reporter: potential 2016 candidate rand paul has already called bill clinton a sexual

predator, even before hillary announces if she'll run. >> that is good politics for a republican party that right now doesn't have any candidates who can match up with the strengths of hillary clinton. >> reporter: hillary clinton had no comment on a campaign already brutal two years before it has begun. andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. and we're back in a moment with the new changes announced for a big american brand name.

it is the first state visit to the white house by a president of france in 18 years, and in this case he will be going stag. french president francois hollande arrived in the u.s. today and toured thomas jefferson's monticello eskate with president obama, an attempt to channel some of president jefferson's close ties to france. hollande was supposed to make this trip with his long-time female companion, but plans were changed after he was caught in a cheating scandal and the couple announced their split. big change coming for something that is a staple product in millions of americans homes, and millions of us grew up on it. kraft american singles will now be made without artificial preservatives. they are replacing sorbic acid with a natural alternative.

while companies like kraft have been under increasing scrutiny, they are also finding they can now market the change as a positive. family trouble in nascar. the king, richard petty, all-time record holder with 200 wins has criticized danica patrick's driving ability. she came to nascar from open-wheeled indycar racing. the senior petty told an interviewer that patrick could only win, quote, if everybody else stayed home. and there were no other cars on the track. petty did say danica patrick was good for the sport. he admitted she has helped draw fans to nascar. seth meyers' late night show will begin soon on nbc. he is getting the time slot jimmy fallon vacated as he moves up to "the tonight show." today seth released a photo of his new house band, and "snl" fans will immediately recognize the band leader, long-time musician and star of the show

"portlandia" seth armson will rejoin his friend on the show. when we come back, 0 to 60 in five seconds, the american thrill seek they're is faster than a lot of cars from a standing start.

our final story here tonight from sochi is about an american medal hopeful at those games, a world champion ski jumper who thought her olympic dreams just might never be realized after a devastating crash last year. it has been a long way back, a tough road to recovery, but tonight she is here, and even that's a victory. we get her story from nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: she goes from zero to 60 in under five seconds, chasing the thrill sarah hendrickson loves. >> flying, it is the best feeling in the world. there is nothing else that can compare to it. that is why i love it. it's amazing. >> reporter: a feeling the 19-year-old wondered she would ever know at these olympics after she crashed on a training in august. >> my knee just exploded, and i kind of came to a stop and looked up at the sky and kind of knew what had happened.

>> reporter: torn ligaments, surgery, then six-hour days in the gym to rebuild her knee and challenge the mental strength that made hendrickson the world reigning ski jumping champion. >> sarah hendrickson! >> hi, sarah! >> reporter: she hits the slopes at age 2, trying to keep up with her older brother nick. >> we grew up skiing, and i was a tom boy. and i wanted to follow in his footsteps. >> reporter: she trailed him to park city ski jumps, showing off her skills at the 2002 games on the stood show. >> way to go, sarah! >> reporter: then this child of the olympics met her hero, lindsey vann, who would become hendrickson's coach and mentor. >> i remember telling my mom this girl is going to be the best in the world some day. >> she did, dang lindsey. >> reporter: hendrickson would grow up to vann's competitor and

teammate. >> i'm very proud of what she has done and how she has become very independent, because she was like velcro. how many times have you been to europe? >> man, i don't even know. probably 20? >> reporter: developing a world class determination. >> i mean, think about the pressure that she has to go off that second jump, and she is the last to go, and there is 35,000 fans. i mean, can you imagine? >> reporter: it's nothing compared to fighting her way back from what could have been a devastating injury, and making the olympic team with her childhood idol. >> five months ago, i don't think she thought she was going to make it. so seeing her up there today, it's emotional for me too. >> reporter: sarah hendrickson living the motto of the salt lake games, lighting the fire within, all the way to sochi. anne thompson, nbc news, park city. and that's our broadcast on a monday night. thank you for being here with us as we start off a new week.

i'm brian williams reporting to you tonight from the winter olympic games in sochi. a reminder, it may be coming up on 4:00 a.m. here. your night is just getting started. prime time coverage begins at 8/7:00 central a reminder of the prime time right now at 6:00, it is the winter many people have been waiting for. lots of snow bringing northern california a little closer to what it needs when it comes to water, but the snow is just part of the story. good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm jessica aguirre. >> i'm raj mathai. we're trying out from the first major storms of the year that brought inches of rain to the bay area, several inches in many parts but it wasn't an even spread. >> look here, a good soaking on the right and the south bay, the

reservoir still empty, deer grazing where there is supposed to be water. >> terry mcsweeney is looking at snow pack and chris sanchez is measuring numbers but we begin with jeff ranieri. such a discrepancy, a 19-inch difference across parts of the bay area. >> you can see where some of the heaviest rain ranged. a lot of green correlating with one to two inches but a wide-spread zone until the orange and red between four to over 12 inches of rainfall. two of the hardest hit cities would be santa rosa, also back towards napa where the totals did surpass eight inches. let's get a look specifically here. most certainly the highest at 21 inches, napa 12 inches but isolated higher amounts that did come in and you head to the south bay, and that's where this rain shadow set up. what happens is you get moisture